A number of players at the 16-U level stood out to college coaches over the two-day River Rats Jamboree held at the Canton Ice House and several other area rinks.
While college coaches have been back in the rinks since June, this was the first event held in New England where there was a significant presence in the building. Many Hockey East and ECAC Hockey programs had all three coaches in attendance. There were also coaches from Atlantic Hockey and the Big Ten watching the River Rats Jamboree.
Games were spread out among several rinks, but I was at Canton Ice House, Rodman Arena and New England Sports Village on Monday and Tuesday. I caught all the top teams and was able to come away with a few notable players that stood out and undoubtedly generated some buzz among college coaches.
Below are seven uncommitted players from seven different teams who stood out at the 16-U division of the 2021 River Rats Jamboree:
Trevor Connolly
Long Island Gulls, 2/28/06, LW, left shot, 6-1/155
Connolly was lights out on the Gulls’ top line with Ben Yurchuk and Griffin Erdman. An '05, Yurchuk committed to Northeastern during the event. Back to Connolly, the Tustin, Calif., native has big time upside. He has good size, skates well, and has a lot of skill. He showed off his hands on numerous occasions and found the score sheet early and often. Connolly is without a doubt one of the top 10 forwards in the '06 birth year. The Gulls were the top team at the event.
Joe Connor
Junior Bulldogs/Avon Old Farms, 3/11/05, C, left shot, 5-8/159
Connor is a goal scorer who stood out as the top player on the Junior Bulldogs over the two days. The Amherst, N.H., native is strong and goes to the dirty areas. He battles below the dots and can finish from anywhere. He’s a player who is getting quite a bit of college interest among Hockey East programs.
Sloan Farmer
Mid Fairfield/Brunswick, 6/2/05, D, left shot, 5-11/159
Farmer, from Old Greenwich, Conn., has taken a huge step over the past few months. After a good performance at USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp in July, Farmer once again impressed college coaches at the River Rats Jamboree. He has good size, strength and athleticism. He skates well and is jumping into the offense more now than he ever did in the past. It would seem as if Farmer is a slam dunk for all the Ivy League schools outside of Harvard. Farmer and Eli Friedman were the top two uncommitted players on Mid Fairfield.
Cullen Emery
Junior Eagles/Dexter Southfield, 8/2/05, C, right shot, 5-9/180
Emery scored a pair of goals in his team’s win over the Buffalo Regals on Tuesday night. The Reading, Mass., native needs to be more consistent, but he’s a good skater who has skill and vision. He sees the ice well and can find soft spots in opposing defenses. Emery is heading to his third team in three years this winter as he’ll join Dexter Southfield. He played at Austin Prep as an eighth grader before spending his freshman season at Reading High. With Will Smith and Will Vote gone to the NTDP, Emery and Cushing’s Ethan Gardula will be counted on to carry more of the offensive load for the Junior Eagles.
Andrew Gibbons
River Rats/St. Mark’s, 6/2/05, C, right shot, 5-9/180
Gibbons had five goals over the course of three games, including a hat trick in Monday’s contest. The Wakefield, R.I., native is a goal scorer who can pick corners. He does a good job of finding holes in opposing defenses and being in the right place at the right time. His skating has improved dramatically since last season. He’ll still need to continue getting better in that regard, but Gibbons is one of those players that wills his team to victories with his character and team-first mentality. Gibbons is part of a deep forward group on the River Rats, a team that will certainly challenge the Junior Eagles for bragging rights in Massachusetts.
James Lyver
Cape Cod Whalers/St. Mark’s, 2/12/05, C, right shot, 5-11/160
Lyver was the one bright spot for the Whalers who struggled, albeit against good competition, at the jamboree. The North Grafton, Mass., native skates well and plays a solid north-south game. He drove the net and had the puck on his stick a good amount of time. Lyver was a player who wasn’t really on my radar until last season around this time. He’s continued to get better and should be a player to watch for college coaches.
Ben Poitras
Buffalo Regals/Salisbury, 7/18/05, RW, right shot, 5-10/150
Poitras is a smart, two-way forward who will be in his second year at Salisbury in 2021-22. The Mississauga, Ontario, native is a playmaker whose skating and skill are both notable. His best asset is his hockey sense. Poitras is the best forward on a very good Buffalo Regals team. He should have significant interest from many of the top college programs out east.
